Displaying media action buttons based on media availability and social information

• US 10,506,276 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Molina, Hugo
• Application Number:
  US15/202,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20160316255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes determining available media content from one or more content sources, providing at least a portion of the available media content for display on a display device of a user, and determining whether a media action button should be displayed on the display device. The media action button is provided for display on the display device when it is determined that the media action button should be displayed. The media action button is operable to perform an action associated with particular available media content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by one or more computer systems, a first media action button for display on a display device when it is determined that particular media content is currently available for viewing;

determining by the one or more computer systems, based on a social graph, that one or more connections of a user are currently watching the particular media content;

providing, by the one or more computer systems, a second media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user as determined from the social graph, the second media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user;

determining by the one or more computer systems, based on the social graph, that one or more other connections of the user have liked the particular media content;

providing, by the one or more computer systems, a third media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user as determined from the social graph, the third media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user; and

providing, by the one or more computer systems, a programming guide for display on the display device, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each entry associated with respective media content;

wherein;

the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, are displayed within the programming guide;

the first, second, and third media action buttons are visually different from each other; and

the first, second, and third media action buttons are grayed-out when the particular media content is currently not available for viewing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, each comprise a visual indication of whether the particular media content is currently available to watch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, are each operable, when selected, to:

send instructions to begin playing the particular media content on the display device or another device;

or

send instructions to tune another device to a channel in which the particular media content may be viewed.

4. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media in one or more computing systems, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

provide a first media action button for display on a display device when it is determined that particular media content is currently available for viewing;

determine, based on a social graph, that one or more connections of a user are currently watching the particular media content;

provide a second media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user as determined from the social graph;

determine, based on the social graph, that one or more other connections of the user have liked the particular media content, the second media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user;

provide a third media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user as determined from the social graph, the third media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user; and

provide a programming guide for display on the display device, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each entry associated with respective media content;

wherein;

the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, are displayed within the programming guide;

the first, second, and third media action buttons are visually different from each other; and

the first, second, and third media action buttons are grayed-out when the particular media content is currently not available for viewing.

5. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, each comprise a visual indication of whether the particular media content is currently available to watch.

6. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, are each operable, when selected, to:

send instructions to begin playing the particular media content on the display device or another device;

or

send instructions to tune another device to a channel in which the particular media content may be viewed.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

provide a first media action button for display on a display device when it is determined that particular media content is currently available for viewing;

determine, based on a social graph, that one or more connections of a user are currently watching the particular media content;

provide a second media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user as determined from the social graph, the second media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content is currently being watched by the one or more connections of the user;

determine, based on the social graph, that one or more other connections of the user have liked the particular media content;

provide a third media action button for display on the display device when it is determined that the particular media content is currently available for viewing and has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user as determined from the social graph, the third media action button comprising a visual indication that the particular media content has been liked by at least one of the one or more other connections of the user; and

provide a programming guide for display on the display device, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each entry associated with respective media content;

wherein;

the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, are displayed within the programming guide;

the first, second, and third media action buttons are visually different from each other; and

the first, second, and third media action buttons are grayed-out when the particular media content is currently not available for viewing.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, when provided, each comprise a visual indication of whether the particular media content is currently available to watch.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third media action buttons, are each operable, when selected, to:

send instructions to begin playing the particular media content on the display device or another device;

or

send instructions to tune another device to a channel in which the particular media content may be viewed.